Floor wax applicator



Aug. 20, 1957 F. c. cooks- FLOOR WAX APPLICATOR Filed se t. 10, 1954 R O T N E V m ATTORNEYS United States Patent i FLOOR WAX APPLICATOR Francis C. Cooke, East Hampton, (Joan.

Application September 10, 1954, Serial No. 455,156

ZClar'ms. (Cl. 131) This invention relates to floor waxers, and more particularly to a wax applicator designedto be placed over a mass of floor wax in paste or plastic form, and spread the wax evenly over the surface of a floor as the applicator is moved from place to. place.

The application of wax in paste form to a floor is sometimes atedious operation, and itis contemplated by the present invention to provide a waxer having a relatively long handle which may be used by one in a standing position. The device is so made that a flexible diaphragm is stretched over a downwardly facing cavity in the body of the device, so that a mass or quantity of wax in paste form may. be placed below the diaphragm and spread over the floor, the diaphragm being displaced or flexed upwardly to accommodate the mass of wax, while the supporting edges of the body of the applicator rest evenly upon the floor.

In addition, means is provided comprising a floating weight disposed in the cavity inthe body of the waxer, and pressing upon the diaphragm, and therefore on the mass of wax, by its own weight in order to maintain the mass of wax in contact with the floor with light pressure thereon. This weight is attached to a stem extending slidably and loosely upward through the upper base of the body of the applicator, so that it may move freely in a vertical direction, and the handle of the device may be conveniently attached to this stem. Also connected to the upper base portion of the body of the device are clamping means to clamp the edges of a cloth or other cover which may extend across the bottom of the flexible diaphragm so as to protect the latter from contact with the wax itself. Thus the cloth, when necessary, may be readily removed and replaced by another to keep the lower surface of the diaphragm comparatively clean.

One object of the present invention is to provide a simple, durable and inexpensive means for applying wax to a floor or other surface, which will be eflicient in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a floor waxer having a body portion which may be placed over a mass of wax and by movement of the waxer over the floor apply the wax evenly to the floor While a light pressure is applied to the mass of wax by a floating weight.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simple and eflicient floor waxer which may be easily manipulated during operation, and which may be placed over a mass of wax in paste form in such a manner that the wax will be accommodated below a flexible member or diaphragm which, in turn, is displaced into a downwardly facing cavity in the body of the waxer.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a floor waxer embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the waxer;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the position Patented Aug. 20, 1957 of the parts when the mass of wax has-been substantially used up; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, I have shown in the drawing a floor waxer comprising a body member of substantially circular form, although it may be made in other shapes, if desired. This body portion of the waxer is of roughly inverted bowlshaped form andcomprises an upper base portion 10, a peripheral wall 11 extending downwardly from the base portion, and a laterally extending flange 12 having a flat lower surface 13 terminating in a shoulder 14. With this construction a recess or cavity 15 is provided within the peripheral wall 11, this cavity opening downwardly through the base flange 12.

The cavity 15 is covered or closed at its lower end by a flexible diaphragm 16 of sponge rubber or similar material. This member is secured against the lower flat surface 13 of the flange 12 within the shoulder 14. This member is sufliciently flexible so that, under light pressure, it will be displaced upwardly so as to lie within the cavity 15, as shown in Fig. 2. As illustrated in this figure, the body'of the waxer-has been placed over" a mass of wax 17, and as the peripheral portion of the flexible member 16, that is, the portions below the flange 12, rests evenly upon the floor, the central portion of the flexible member, that is, the portion over the cavity 15, is displaced upwardly so as to accommodate the mass of wax 17 above the level of the floor upon which the peripheral portion of the member 16 rests. Thus the body of the waxer will rest flatly upon the floor whilethe displace ment of the flexible member 16 into the. cavity 15 provides space for the mass of wax above the floor.

A boss 18 is provided upon the upper base 10 of the waxer at a position centrally thereof, and this boss is provided with a central opening 19 through which a vertically disposed stem 20 slidably and loosely projects. Upon the lower end of this stem is secured a light weight in the form of a circular plate or disk 21 the diameter of which is slightly less than the diameter of the cavity 15. This plate bears, by its own weight and by the weight of the stem 20, upon the upper surface of the flexible member 16, so that the latter is urged downwardly toward the floor. Therefore, as the mass of wax is used, the weight of the plate 21 and stem 20 will cause the flexible member 16 to be moved downwardly so that the mass of wax will always be pressed against the floor under light pressure in order that the wax may be applied to the floor. The wax will be spread evenly over the floor by the peripheral portions of the waxer below the flange 12. As

. shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, a considerable portion of the mass of wax 17 has been used, and the weight or follower 21 is shown in a lower position than that shown in Fig. 2, but still in the position in which it rests upon the diaphragm 16 and maintains the wax against the floor.

A retaining cap 22 is detachably secured to the stem 20 adjacent the upper end thereof. As a convenient method of securing the cap in place, the stem may be provided with an annular recess 23, and the cap 22 provided with a registering slot 24 through which may be inserted a locking wire 25 of substantially U-shaped form. A plate 25, to which a handle 26 of any suitable length may be secured, is loosely mounted upon the stem 20, so that, while the handle will be held in place by the stem, the latter is free to move in a vertical direction in the opening 19 of the boss 18 under the influence of gravity, so that the disk 21 may follow the flexible member 16 in its movements. The length of the stem 20 and the position of the cap member 22 thereon is such that, when the movement of the stern downwardly is halted by the engagement of the lower surface of the cap with the plate 25, the lower surface of the flexible member 16 will be substantially in the same plane as the lower surface of this member at the periphery thereof below the flange 12, or, in other words, substantially the same plane as the floor upon which the device may rest.

In order to keep the lower surface of the flexible member 16 in a clean condition, it may be desired that this member be covered by a cloth such as shown at 27. This cloth may be brought up over the top surface of the upper base 10, and releasably secured in place below the ends of clamping wires 28 which are secured to the boss 18, and are so tensioned that their outer free ends are urged into engagement with the upper surface of the base 10. These clamping members may consist of two wires which are bowed at their central portions, as shown at 29, into substantially semi-circular form so as to lie within an annular recess 30 formed in the boss 18. At each side of the boss the wires 28 may be tied together by wires 31.

The handle 26 may be detachably secured to an inclined portion 33 of the plate member 25 by the set screw 34.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodirnent of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A floor wax applicator comprising a body member of inverted bowl-shaped form having an outwardly and laterally projecting flange at its lower edge, a covering of flexible material secured to said flange to form a closed cavity within the body member, said covering being displaceable into said cavity to provide a space between the covering and the floor to receive a quantity of wax, a disk-shaped weight member within the cavity resting on said flexible member, a boss on the upper surface of the body member having an opening therethrough to pro vide an extended bearing, a stem secured to the weight member and extending upwardly and loosely through said opening, a handle member resting on said boss and having an opening loosely receiving said stem and means to retain the handle on the stem.

2. A floor wax applicator comprising a body member of inverted bowl-shaped form having an outwardly and laterally projecting flange at its lower edge, a covering of flexible material secured to said flange to form a closed cavity within the body member, said covering being displaceable into said cavity to provide a space between the covering and the floor to receive a quantity of wax, a disk-shaped weight member within the cavity resting on said flexible member, a boss on the upper surface of the body member having an opening therethrough to provide an extended bearing, a stem secured to the weight member and extending upwardly and loosely through said opening, means on the upper end of the stem to limit downward movement of said weight, a cloth covering the lower surface of the flexible material, the edges of which cloth extend over the upper surface of the body member and cloth-clamping members secured to said boss engaging the edges of the cloth and clamping such edges against the upper surface of the body member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 956,929 Bradbury May 3, 1910 1,575,057 Johnson Mar. 2, 1926 1,936,727 Matthews Nov. 28, 1933 1,971,520 Braun Aug. 28, 1934 2,155,125 Glenn Apr. 18, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 384,083 Great Britain Dec. 1, 1932 

